Michigan hockey has big fan in Tigers' Brandon Inge

AP PhotoDetroit's Brandon Inge said it's been an adjustment on defensive drills because of his improved health.

The Michigan hockey team continues its pursuit of a NCAA championship Thursday night in Minneapolis as part of the "Frozen Four" semifinals.

The Wolverines have won nine NCAA hockey titles (two under head coach Red Berenson), but getting a 10th trophy won't be easy as they have to defeat No.1 North Dakota to get to the final.

So what does this have to do with the Detroit Tigers? Well, maybe not a lot. Except that one of Michigan hockey's biggest supporters will be playing third base for the visiting team in Baltimore Thursday night while the Wolverines and Sioux face off at the Xcel Center.

Brandon Inge is a season ticket holder for Michigan hockey and made it out to 10 games this season. That included The Big Chill at the Big House, which set a world record for attendance at a hockey game. (The exact figure depends on whom you consult. Michigan says 113,411 attended, while Guinness World Records counted 104,173. Either way, it shattered the previous record of 77,803, set in Germany.)

During preparations for the event, Inge and his kids went out to Michigan Stadium to skate around on the outdoor ice surface. The Tigers' third baseman then outed himself as a Michigan hockey fan. Welcome to the club, sir.

Inge became a regular visitor to Yost Ice Arena during the Tigers' offseason, bringing his two sons in for a morning skate. Inge didn't know how to skate beforehand, but as you might expect, he quickly took to it. Coach Berenson definitely noticed.

"He has really become a Michigan fan, and that's been kind of fun to see," Berenson said. "He seems to have embraced hockey and skating. When he came here, he couldn't skate. But he's been skating and he's talking to our guys about his equipment, and he's going to start thinking he's a hockey player."

Yost Ice Arena isn't the only place Inge has been skating. He enjoyed it so much that he installed an ice rink in the front yard of his house. (That's one way to get the neighbors' attention.) Skating, Inge believes, has helped his knees recover from surgery two years ago.

The thought of his third baseman playing pickup hockey games gives Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski visions of Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Zack Greinke breaking a rib while playing basketball.

Perhaps Dombrowski can take solace in major league contracts forbidding players from participating in organized hockey leagues. But that hasn't stopped Inge from inviting people out for a skate, including some members of the Detroit Red Wings. The hockey bug has bitten him, and bitten hard.

Inge just has to take better care of that ice surface in his front yard. Next, he told Knobler, he's getting a Zamboni for that rink.

Michigan's game against North Dakota gets underway at 8:30 p.m. ET, probably around the fourth inning of the Tigers-Orioles game. Coverage is on ESPN2. (And if you're really curious about the four schools playing in the Frozen Four, USCHO.com has team scouting reports for you to check out.